The answer: a lot. a lot, a lot. As a second time visitor, the canals were the only thing I used my camera for {besides the occasional selfie or food pic of meals that really aren't anything to write home about}. And why not take a massive amount of canal pictures? They are absolutely stunning. Enjoy!

I went to Amsterdam the first time during the spring and it was still chilly. Fall in Amsterdam is simply beautiful with crisp, yet warm weather.

Of course we needed to take a selfie on one of the canals!

I mean just how beautiful are the fall colors reflected in the water?!

Selfie on our canal boat tour!

Of course I was camera happy and eventually took pictures of other buildings or scenery or objects {like bikes on bikes on bikes} that seemed very Dutch + European....Just couldn't help myself!

The windmill brewery Ross found that was fun + relaxing!

So while we didn't go to the popular museums in Amsterdam or partake in the major attractions {like I did the last time}, it was nice to just enjoy fall, my midterm break, and a different city with the best travel partner in the world ;).

Truth be told, we didn't just walk + eat our way through Amsterdam. We did visit some museums to get a little cultured. Since we missed out on a full day due to a cancelled flight, we didn't get to see everything we had wanted to, but we did attend some of the most popular museums.

Anne Frank In this house, you can experience the Frank family's hiding spot, see original pages from Anne's diary {I couldn't take pictures of these, sadly}, and view some artifacts from Anne, such as her artwork. I am grateful I had the opportunity to visit this museum, but I was hoping to see how the rooms would've been arranged. However, I learned that Otto Frank, Anne's father had requested the furniture to be removed, which is why they only displayed models and photographs of what the rooms would have looked like.

Above are some of Anne's drawings and photo albums.

The bookcase above hid the stairs that led to where the family was hiding.

Above and below are photos of Anne's room. I cannot believe the size of it....

Below are posters + magazine clippings of what Anne hung up in her room.

Museum Tip: If you visit, buy tickets ahead of time, as the line was out the door and around the block. Just see the picture below {and that's just half the line...}. Thank you to my smart friend, Ashley, who purchased tickets ahead of time and we just zipped to the front, bypassing hours of waiting.

Van GoghOne of my favorite museums where you can view Van Gogh's original work. I took some snaps of the ones I liked the best; however, don't be surprised to find Starry Night is not shown, as it is not exhibited at this museum.

Tip: Either buy tickets in advance because of hour-long wait times or go right when it opens. Also, Ashley encouraged me to do the audio tour and I was not disappointed! The audio tour can be done at your own pace + time. For instance, you can see highlights if pressed for time, or spend hours and hear more background information about Van Gogh {said in a throaty, somewhat phlegmy voice by the audio guide} and the paintings.

Ashley and I laughed at how many selfies Van Gogh painted. thinking he was narcissistic; however, we learned through the audio tour that he didn't have money to pay for models, so he painted himself.

Van Gogh's famous sunflowers; another version, in slightly different shades of yellow, is hung in the National Gallery in London.

The beautiful painting above was done in Paris, which makes me excited for our upcoming trip!

In the above painting, can you spot the third couple in love? Look very closely....

The above two paintings are my favorite, and it just so happens that Van Gogh painted these in the asylum. Creative mastermind.

Ice bar {ok, not technically a museum, but I DID learn something...}Truth: I'm a sucker for cheesy, touristy attractions like this. Second truth: we should have gone on the Heineken tour, but I pushed for this one {insert embarrassed emoji}. However, I kinda, sorta enjoyed this tourist trap, as I've always seen pictures of ice bars and never knew what to expect. Now I do: it's cold. Very very cold. And what I learned is: I despise being cold and am not sorry about missing Chicago's winter.

Although we were forced into these large, poofy coats, we still froze our behinds off.

And that's a wrap of our Amsterdam girls' trip, folks! Ross wants to visit, and I definitely want to go back, preferably when the weather is warmer and the winds aren't too extreme. There is still so much to see + learn, despite the town being small. So, this will certainly not be my last trip to the land of cheese, canals, culture, tulips, and waffles ;)!

The Dutch certainly know how to make my taste buds dance {insert twin, dancing girl emojis}. From patatas, waffles, pancakes, delightful cheese and seafood, their dishes are divine. The photos you will see are taken from restaurants we tried and a couple markets we walked through: Albert Cuyp + Waterlooplein markets.

Poffertjes: Mini pancakes that are oh-so-cute and buttery.

Patatas/Frites: A fancy name for French fries, these are eaten in a paper cone, usually topped with heaps of mayo {I opted out of the mayo, as the fried potato was enough for me...this time}, and eaten while walking {eating this fried favorite of mine while walking made me feel somewhat healthier!}.

Waffles: Oh. Em. Gee. Could these be anymore beautiful? They can be topped with anything and everything: chocolate, whipped cream, fruit, Nutella, candy, and so on. This is not just breakfast, but a meal or dessert.

Pancakes: Not your typical American pancake. They are super thin and super large {they don't even fit on a plate!}. Like a crepe, they can be made sweet or savory. The one I tried had mushrooms and cheese, so it was similar to a pizza without the sauce, but there was a slight sweetness from the dough. The verdict is still out about this one...

Seafood: Wow! The restaurant we went to was delicious, and because of The Seafood Bar, I can now say that I actually like oysters. I can also say that I hate, absolutely makes-me-want-to-vom, hate Dutch shrimp cocktail. Those little baby shrimps give me the hee-bee-gee-bees {picture below}. Woof.

Shucking them tasty + fresh oysters.

"The best calamari I've ever had." ~Ashley {she is right}.

Prepare your eyes + tum for the stomach-churning pic below {those little ones feel like, what I would imagine, a smooshy, chewy brain}. Ashley covered the large prawn's eyes for you. You should seriously thank her.

Stroop waffles: A waffle cookie that can be served warm or cold, mini or giant. The ones we saw usually had caramel in the middle.

Cheese-us, Mary + Joseph!: There are so many Dutch cheese shops to choose from; I was in absolute heaven! The cheese is melt-in-your-mouth good. And there are so many different kinds of cheese: lavender cheese, pesto cheese, just regular-plain-old cheese {that is wayyyyy better than our American cheese!}.

Cheers to traveling + eating {and fitting into a wedding dress at some point...eek!}. xoxo

My kindergarten bestie, Ashley, and I had a girls' Euro-trip planned for months. Our organized plans and excitement were somewhat squashed when Easy Jet cancelled our flight due to high winds. After long lines, a transfer to another airport, almost 2 hours away from London Gatwick Airport, and a night spent in the middle of nowhere, we were ready for our mini-vacay away from London.

I'm only showing you this plane, because apparently she got a new paint job. Further, our flight was the first flight into the Amsterdam base, so we were welcomed with a party of people, clapping and handing out keychains decorated with Dutch shoes. After a long journey to get here, Ashley + I were both very confused.

Anyway, once we finally made it to Holland, we immediately noticed that Amster {is} dam beautiful. The canals. The quaint streets. The lively squares. The colorful flowers {they are known for their tulips, which happens to be my favorite flower}. The town is enchanting and oh-so-instagrammable.

My favorite part of the city was aimlessly walking up and down the streets {partly because we couldn't read and understand the map/street signs}. Although the weather was miz {think: 20 mph bone-chilling winds}, the canals were still a sight to see. My other favorite part of our trip was the canal cruise, which gave us background information about the city as we toured the town by water.

Have yourself a look and enjoy its beauty.

I loved how their Metro was street level and super easy to use! The best part? You can buy your ticket in the train.

Fun fact: Bikes have the right of way in Amsterdam, which makes it much more difficult to walk through the city without being flattened like a pancake, because you have to be careful of not only the cars, motorcycles, and the Metros, but now you also have to be aware of the crazy bikers, who don't slow down.

The photo above and the next few pictures below are of Dam Square.

Pictured above is one of my favorite photos from our trip! My other favorite I saved for last ;).

Ash and I standing on the oldest bridge in Amsterdam above and below.

You try to pronounce that street name!

A resident told us that if and when we get lost {which happened every 5 minutes}, to follow the canals because they always lead back to Central Station, pictured above.

After a few hours of walking, we decided a canal tour would be the best way to take a break and enjoy the city views. So on the Tulip Express we go!

I was loving these house boats!

Then we walked our way to the Flower Market.

And kept walking to Rembrandt Square.

Finally our day of walking and boating ended. I snapped this final picture above, which I wanted to share with you, since it's THE best photo from the whole trip. Stay tuned for Part 2 tomorrow! xoxo